Praia do Barranco das Canas (Alemão)

Post code

- Alvor

Municipality

Portimão

Location

Alvor

The name of the beach derives from the watercourse that flows onto the beach down a narrow gully (barranco), with thick beds of reeds growing on either side. To the east you can see the rock formation of the Ponta João d´Arens, surrounded by numerous isolated groups of rocks that have stood firm against the receding coastline and provide shelter for many different species of birds. The top of these cliffs is covered with a dense and very green pinewood, which gives way to enormous olive-trees and fig-trees, growing in the valley just before the beach. The backdrop to this sandy beach is a succession of highly furrowed, soft red cliffs formed from a sand-clay material (their clays are highly sought after by the local people for therapeutic purposes) and the ochre cliffs carved out of biocalcarenites (carbonate rocks with a great abundance of marine fossils) in which the effects of erosion have given rise to isolated rock formations, arches and enormous caves, such as the ones that are visible at the beach’s eastern end. The beach is a peaceful one, set in what are still very natural surroundings, despite its proximity to the major and very busy tourist centre of Portimão.

Note: There is a possibility of stones falling from the cliffs, so that care should be taken when walking close to them, as well as when walking on the cliff top, keeping a safe distance from the edge.

Access: There is a tarmac road to the beach from Av. V3 (Portimão), heading towards Praia da Rocha/Vau. The beach, which has basic support facilities and is supervised during the bathing season, faces south.